(Jamaica Gleaner) Supreme Court judge Bryan Sykes has turned down the application to accept two witness statements at the murder trial of dancehall artiste Adija ‘Vybz Kartel’ Palmer.
Justice Sykes handed down his ruling yesterday.
He said he was not convinced that the prosecution took enough steps to locate the witnesses.
The 12-member jury is to return to the Home Circuit Court today.
At that time, the prosecution is expected to offer no further evidence and the judge will then direct the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.
Kartel, Lenburgh McDonald and Nigel Thompson were taken into custody for the 2011 shooting murder of the St Catherine businessman, Barrington ‘Bossy’ Burton.
However Kartel will remain in custody because he has another murder case pending against him.